A view of yesterday, today and tomorrow -- the past, the present and the future

Thursday, March 08, 2012

ROCK IN L.A.

Up Date Sat., 3/10/12 ..... the rock has arrived at LACMA, will be set in place later this weekend. The "Levitated Mass" exhibit is expected to open early this summer.

Museum officials have been amazed that the rock's transport trek attracted so much public attention, especially among young people. The hope is there will be many new visitors to LACMA -- some becoming future members.

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L.A. has rock in more ways than one. This rock is a 340-ton, 21'-6" high granite boulder discovered in a quarry years ago. Destined to be a major new artwork at Los Angeles County Museum of Art -- Michael Heizer's Levitated Mass will be his latest earthwork. It will be installed above a 456-foot-long trench to create a most unique experience as viewers walk beneath.

Traveling west only at night to minimize traffic tie-ups, the rock started from Riverside County east of my town. The rock is attracting much attention and even some parties in city stops along the way.

Michael Govan, director of LACMA, went out to visit the boulder—in this video he gives you an idea of what you can expect. For more information visit lacma.org Video production: Alexa Oona Schulz

"The rock weighs as much as 4 jumbo jets and as much as 50 T-Rex's. It will be placed in an exhibit where people can walk directly under it in a way that will make it look as though it is levitating."

The 340-ton granite boulder is making a 105-mile journey from Riverside to Los Angeles at 5 miles a hour. Yesterday the rock most recently celebrated in a Long Beach Rock-A-Palooza party.

13 comments:

Kay: I hadn't previously been aware of this artist's earthwork so find all this fascinating. I should note that the funds necessary for all this have been privately raised. No tax dollars are expended.

Fascinating. I wonder what archeologists thousands of years from now will think. Even if they leave a script of some kind to explain it, 1/ how do you explain art? 2. our language might not be decipherable, just as hieroglyphics are obtuse at times.Dianne

schmidley: Indeed, what will they think? We speculate about the Pyramids, Stonehenge, so many other sites -- transport of the stones. I wonder what happens if we have a strong earthquake? I avoid stopping under freeway passes in case an earthquake hits (never has noticeably while I've been driving.)

Hattie: Perhaps the question is raised as to what constitutes art? Or, I've thought, too, with all the needs everywhere that much manpower, time and energy is being expended on this project. Of course, people are being put to work which is needed. But then, especially in recent years, I've wondered, too, about many uses of gas contributing to pricing, shortages such as with the big business, sport(?)of auto racing. There's no end to activities in our country, and others, whose value and our priorities could be questioned in the scheme of life.

I'm afraid I have a negative view of this project. Even though the funds were raised privately I find it a very poor use of funds. There is no way in hell I would walk under that rock. It may be art to some, but it's just a big rock to me.

Joy and Darlene: Your contrasting reactions reflect the frequent controversy that art museums across the country encounter with some of their art exhibits and installations. I'm often reminded that controversy garners publicity when I see or hear of what might be considered outrageous actions or events. Publicity serves to magnify the public's awareness and interest, which can result in much-desired increased museum visitation. Museums struggle to survive financially during these difficult times, too.

joared, this is too scary for me. I wouldn't feel this way if nothing ever fell down, but new bridges collapse, new buildings and new parkades - I call this citizen endangerment in a time and place where safety is usually first and foremost.

I marvel at the rock and what you have told us here about it, but I would sooner walk, even crawl, over it while all the rest walk under it.

Dick: That "old saw" pretty much sums up my perspective on this whole event. I think the differing views expressed in comments here pretty well coincide with the varied attitudes about the project of local L.A. residents. No doubt other communities have some unusually unique activities which raise speculative thoughts. These events can serve as a temporary distracting relief from some of life's more serious concerns.

Roberta: I appreciate yours and others apprehension with experiencing this art happening. I haven't read anything about the stability in the event of earthquake, or how great a shaker the "Levitated Mass" can withstand.

I have read that the Japanese have already created a levitating system earthquake proofing new homes which have been built. Here's a link:http://www.gizmowatch.com/air-danshin-develops-levitation-based-quake-resistant-system-houses.html